Anonymous, San Francisco Possibly 2009 - 2010

Katy Grannan made this photograph called, *Anonymous, San Francisco,* sometime after 1969. It shows a woman against a wall, light cascading down its textured surface. I can imagine Grannan looking through the lens, waiting, then directing her subject, carefully considering composition, light, and shadow. The woman's face is obscured by her hair, making her anonymous, yes, but also universal. That fur stole, a touch of glamour with its own history, contrasts with the starkness of the wall. The light creates such a strong contrast, almost a painterly effect. The grainy texture of the wall gives the photo a tactile quality, like impasto in a painting. The eye is drawn to the woman's hand on the cane, its dark line mirroring the shadows and adding another layer of depth. Grannan captures a fleeting moment, an everyday encounter, elevated to a timeless image.